Double Bass Joel Forbes's bass

[Matthew Tucker]

Anyone know anything about Joel Forbes's big bass? Sounded really lovely at a jam the other night, no pickup just mic'ed into the PA. And we don't get to hear many gut players here in Sydney.
(The bass seemed to be held together with gaffertape though ... maybe that's another luthier secret?)

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

Yeah, Joel is a heck of a player! That bass of his seems to be Eastern European, maybe 20-30 years old. Joel is also a talented luthier, but he got tired of fixing stuff and now prefers tape to hide glue! Recently he dropped a carload of old bass stuff at my shop to get it out of his sight...

 

[Mudfuzz]

This him?

I found it here

 

[Matthew Tucker]

Thanks Arnold, and yeah that's the bass, sticky tape and all. (Not a very flattering picture of Joel though, asleep in his socks ...)

So what are those strings? red, yellow, green, silver was it?

 

[Paul Warburton]

There's at least two threads going on involving bass bumpers and here they are again and used by a well respected player who is also a luthier.

 

[Alexi David]

So what are those strings? red, yellow, green, silver was it?

Look like Red-O-Rays - great strings! (no longer made)

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

Right!

 

[Paul Warburton]

I worked some jazz parties with Joe Cohn (guitarist on this band and the son of tenor sax great Al Cohn)
This says alot about Joels playing. Oops, that sounded snooty...I didn't mean that Joe was a good player because he played with someone I played with...just that these guys are good company to be hangin' with.

 

[Matthew Tucker]

Yeah he was very interesting to watch. Not much activity beyond the neck joint, as we get so used to with gee whizz players with superlow stringheight and steels. But timing was great, solid bass and his SOUND was marvellous. I love bass players who play the BASS parts well. Spending all your solo time in thumb pos is all very well but pulling a good solo off in 1/2 sound so much better ... well thats what I like, anyway.

Wish I could do that ...

 

[Alexi David]

SOUND was marvellous. I love bass players who play the BASS parts well. Spending all your solo time in thumb pos is all very well but pulling a good solo off in 1/2 sound so much better ...

Amen!